Mine-destroying means.



E. T. BOBESON. Mms pEsToYxNe MEANS. APPLICATION .man psc. 18,'1'915.

APatented June 13, 1916,

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E. T. ROBESON.

I MINE DEsTROYmG' MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I8, I9I5.

' Patented June 13, 1916.'v

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EfT'. ROBES'ON. MINE DESTBOYING MEANS.

APPLICATION man oec. ms. |915.

Patented J u11el3, 1916.

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swANsBono, NORTH CAROLINA.v

MINE-DESTROYING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 12 gf Application filed December 18 1915. Serial No. 67,578.

[of/.(1. m/Lom may conc-armi lie it known that l, licor-:Ni: T. RonnsoN, a citizen ol the United States. and a resident ot Snvansboro, in the county of Onslow and Stateot North Carolina, haveinvented a new and Improved Mine-D estroying Means, ot' which the following isa full,`

clear and exact description. f

An object ot my invention is to provide a mine-destroying means including a pilot boat and a conveyer or' charge-carrying boat adapted to carry arrexplosive charge' for exploding the mine, the respective boats to be equipped with means whereby to` automatically control the direction thereof as well as their relativespeeds. 4

A .further object oi' the invention is to provide a mine-destroying means of the [boat and a chaige-carrying' boat and their vertical vsection Aon an enlargedscale. ofthe appurtenances. embodying my invention; Fig. is a similar view tobe hereinafter referred to, the view being given to indicate the manner in which the charge-carrying boat is ca used to round a mine after the mine cable has been engaged and is so close to the charge-carrying latter to make a shortturn in order to'conneet the explosive charge with the mine; Fig. 3 is a perspective View showing the charge applied tothe mine, and the con-l veyer boat leaving the minel to explode ja charge; Fig. -1 is a fragmentary plan View of the conveyor boat; nal vertical section of the conyeyer boat;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6 6, Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical- -section on the .line 7-'7, Fig.

5; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective View or'l a means for .throwing the main propeller outo action when the con'veyer boat' undulyl ad- Varices relative to the pilot boat; Fig'. 9 isa mine-carrying charge and the` depending boat as-to require the- F 1g. o 1s a longitudnv steinon the conveyer boat by which Said charge is carried and through the medium of which the conveyer boat is automatically controlled upon a mine cable being engaged; Fig. 10 is a horizontal section, on the line 10,--10, Fig. 5; Fig. 11 is a horizontalsec-- tion onlthe line`11-11, Fig. 5; Fig. 12 is a horizontal section on the line 12-1'2, Fig. 5; Fig. 13v is a horizontal section on the line 1S-13, Fig. 5; and Fig. 1-1V isa perspective View of a device'relat'ing to the charge releasingmechanism.

In carrying out my invention in accordance with the illustrated example, a pilot boat 1,0 is provided and a lc onveyer boat 11 to carry an explosive charge. Both boats are connected by an underwater dragcable 12 and byv boat is equipped with 1l on a depending stem 15, and the conveyer boat 11 is equipped' with a'rudder or rudders 16 on a depending rudder stem 17. Thev pilot boat is provided with A'18 driven by any source of boat' or from an electric current from qa boat following asterr 'of the pilot and conveyor an overhead cable 13. The pilot aA rudder or ruddersy boats'. lSimilarly,vv the conveyor boat 1s provided with a stern propeller 19.

The drag cable 12 is connected at one end u with a Jforward arm 2() on the rudder stem l5 of thepilot boat and atits opposite endv to av similar arm 21 on a stern 22, depending from the conveyer boat adjacent to the rnd-- der stem 17. The several stems,'15, 17, 22, are tapered at the front` to, offer the minimum resistance.` v

The stem 22 is mounted at its upper end to turn on its own axis and the turning of the stem controls a steering gear which may consist of asector 23' on the upper end of the stem above the deck of the conveyor boat 11. said sector meshing With'a sector 2t on the rudder stem 17 The .sector 23 has an arm 25 connected with anretractile spring 26 of sufiicient strength to normally maintain the stem 22 and the rudder stem from turning. The rudders; of the respective boats are set at such an angle as to'cause the boats to tend to moire away fromeach other and v' thereby maintain the cables 12 and 13, substantially taut and the spring- 26 will havey s uieient tension yfor this pur vide means lwhereby to cutout said'motor vand to cut 1n a motor on an auxiliary steer-- ing propeller when the drag cable 12'conies in contact with theniine cable, the means 5 shown for this purpose, being as `follows:

Connected at one end to the stem .22j is a strap 28, or the like, Whielijmay have a. coil sprlng therein'to permit it to yield andv give a gradual action.' The. said strapV connects with a switch arm 30 operating'betweenjconf tact elements 31, Upon the cable l12 contacting with the cable a of a mine A, .the resistance, will result in turningthe stemf22 by 4the cable 12 exertinga' pull on the' armf2l, 15 and the turning of the stem2'2 will, through the steering gearelements 23, 24, turn the rudder stem 17 and swing-the rudders 16 to direct the boat-'in the direction of the pull on lthe cablel 12. The' charge conveye1"'boat 20 11 is thus caused tovround the mine and. to

automatically vattach an explosive charge to i the mine cable as hereinafter explained.-

In the event the conveyer boat l1-I is too close to the mine A, to round the same by a gradual vturning -movement, the increasing pull of the drag cable 12l on the arm 21 will continue the turning movement of the stein.

22 'and will wind up the strap 2S sufficientlyguide sheaves 35. v Y

The vupper cable-13 issecured at one end. to

i cableu. ,The strap 28a-runs :over lsuitable a ixedpost 39A on the'pilot'boat and at the opposite end is fixed to a corresponding post' 40 on the charge vconveyer boat l1. The cable thus tends to prevenu turning or rolling of either Iboat in a direction away from the other." In orderto .insure'that the conveyer boat 11 shall kat all times andunder all circumstanceskeep'u'p with the pilot boat 1 0, I

give the conveyer boat slightly higher speed, l

a ratio, for example, -of4 to 3. The relative excess of speed of the conveyer boat will frequently cause it to pass the pilot boat and I utilize the- Cable 13 tostopthe propeller of the. conveyer.. boa twhen it passes the pilot boat to a 'predetermined extent.4 -cables 41,42', extend respectively from the Branch cable 13' .to the boats 10, 11, and theV cable 42 is passed through an arm-43 near the outer' eDdfOfthevY'latter, and made fast as at 44 in any. suitable Ina-nner to' the 'hull of` the boat 11 The arm 43 1s secured as 'at 45 to a verf tical l'rod or shafty 46 whichextends to the interior of the b'oat 11 and is formed with af lateral arm 47 which may be--produced .by bending the end of the said rod upwardly.

To the arm 47 is connected one 'end of a pull- `cord or wire 49, which passes through suit-4 9: j able guides 48l to a connection with a switch arm 50, saidswitch' Varm being connected with' aretractilev spring 5l, and controlling v a. switch 52. The switch 52 will be thrown under the following circumstances: lVhen l( to throw the-switch arm 30 away from the SO-.contact'member 3.1 which conducts the current to the motor A27-of the stern propeller `19, thus'cutting out said motor. At the same 4time the swinging of the switch arm 30 will effect ContactV with the member 32 which #35 Vcontrols the' current from storage batteries 33,1or other source to an auxiliary vmotor' 3 6 on a transverse propeller shaft 37 lcarrying a side 'propeller-3S. 'I he currentmay be sup plied bya wire-33*1 (Fig. 5) running, in

the conveyer boatll runs ahead of the pilot boat, the cable 13, instead 'of being at right angles to the general Idirection of travel of theboatsQ will assume'an oblique position,'

therebyA giving ar rearward movement to the l( branchI cable. 42, relativev to the vboat 1v1', causing the arm 43 to be swung rearwardly 4t) practice, from aboat following, and not here' shown. The stopping ofthe motor 27 brings --the conveyer boat'practically'toa standstill with theexception of a'movelnent conveyed to itby the pilot boat 10.V `4&5 --vessel ywill beheld in place by'the'drag cable 12 and the starting'of the auxiliary motor 36 and side propeller 38 willresultin the s tern ;,of the l'vessel being swung. around luntil the boat is headed in the direction [of the pull on The conveyer and turning'the rod or shaft 46 through a sufficient-angle to exert a'pull on thev cord or wire 49,-'thereby throwing 'the switch arm and breaking `the electrical connection, thus-stopping thez'mot'or27 and the propeller '19.l .Until'the pilot boatmakes-a'relative ad 1 Vance-and the cable 33 is again'l disposed in 50 the cable 12. As thel vessel lis forced about' by the side propeller the' stem 22 is held in practically stationary position and acts as an axis in the turning of the conveyer boat until` the latterfhas assumed its normal position '55 relatively to the'stem. 22 and strap 28 conits normal position, whereupon the retractile 11 spring 5l will restore the switch'arniO and reestablish thefcircuit to the motor 27. l

On ftli e s ide'.of thestem22 I provide' a horizontall fender 53 having a. pointed forward end and'. curving' laterally at the, out- 12 trolling the switch. "As lthe-boat turns the gradual unwind-ing of the-strap v28 or equivalent flexible element, connecting with vthe switch arm 30, will release the s witcharm permittingy the spring V34 to throw the switch to the contacty 31 thus again throwing in the motor vv27 controlling the stern propeller 19 and cutting out the side propellersothat the boat will move forward in the directiony ofthe Apull and Iround A the mine A and -its side-to delect"the mine cable a awayfrom the stem` and pass it' alongtheside of said fender.

The- 'fender mayA lbe securedvbyclamps. 54 'tothe stems 17 and22. The function of the fender'53 also", is to hold the stems 17 and'22 from contacting with the firing points on the mine. It will be' understoodthat in practice,- .the fender may. have `any width-necessary andthe grab'7l will b e disposed accordingly at the prop e'rdis-- plosive charge vis tance outward from'tlie stem 22 to havethe mine Acable guided to said grab by the fender. Thestem 22 may be built up of a series of short lengths or sections whereby to extend thesame to any desired depth, the vsections having, respectively, responding orilices 56 and the connection being completed by set screws 57, or the like. Also, the sections, or certain of them, may be composed of vertical joint 58, the side members of each section being held by clamps 59 and bolts 60.' There may be a tongue and groove connection61- at the joint 58, as indicated'in Figs. 11 and 12.

` My preferred means for carrying the exbvI 'a separate shell 62,

which. will have :suitableair ballast compartments 63. `The shell 62 stem 22 being -adapted to seat laterally theirv outer ends to conform to the adjacent flar-y ing sides of the said shell,

-sionspring 65 1s is sustained by the against pairs of arms 6-i. flaring at,

which is preferably diamond'shape in cross section to minii'nize the4 resistance offered by the water, Between each pair of arms 64, a compreslocated on the stem 22 tending to unseat the shell and force the/same .which are engaged by hooks 67; which To retain the shell on formed with eyes 66 are provided on a shaft or vertical rod -68, which is adapted to turn in the stem 22. A chain 69 'at the lower end of the shell 62 is connected as at 70 to a mine grab 71 adapted to grab a cable a of the mine. To detachably secure the grab 71 to the vertical rod 68 I provide on said grab at a side thereof, a lateral stem 72 which is removably received vin a-corresponding lateral socket 73 in the said rod 68. The grab 7l is in the form vof a. horizontal frame, the open end from the stern.

its seat the same is A of which i's provided ,with closure arms El pivoted near their outer ends at T5, and the outer ends being connected with retractile to maintain the arms in mine cable, whereby the pressure of the cable will force inward one,

said arms 7.1 permitting the mine cablelto enter the said gi'ab. As the mine cable enters the grab and contacts with the iear wall thereof, the pressure ofthe said cable will tend to turn the rod 68 and permit the rej lease of the said grab. The arm 7 2 extends the stem 22, the said fork facing rearwardly, and a compression spi-ing 78, encircling the stem 7 2 of the grab, bears at one end laterally against the adjacent side of the rod 68 and at the .outer end against a shoulder on the stem 2, therebv tending to force said stem outwardlv with the shoulder against the inner side of the fork 77. The stem 22 is slotted adjacent to the fork Z7 to permit turning of tenons 55 and cor" two side members having a i,

or both, of the j the shank or stem 72 withithe turning'of the -Irod 68. Therefore, upon the rearward movement of ,the grab 71, as soon as Simultaneously, withthe release ofthe grab the explosive shell 62 is released from the hooks 6T-since b vthe turningmovement of' the rod 68, which will' turn the said hooks 67, carried thereby, out ofthe `eyes 66 of the shell, permitting the springs- 65 to unseat the shell and ,force it awayfrom its seat 62 on the stem The shell which is buoyant by reason of the air compartments 63, may now rise o'n the mine cable a. until the grab 'T1 `is arrested vby the mine The 'stem 221h'as slots 81 adjacent to the hooks 67 to permit the turning movement of said hooks with the rod 68 in releasing the eyes 66.

In order to automatically effect the exv ,plosion of the charge after the conveyer boat 11 has moved away-from the same a predetermined distance after attaching the explosive charge, an electric conductor 82 leads from theexplosive charge through a hawsehole or opening 83 (Figs. 5 -and 78) in the boat to the interior-.of the latter side of the and passes about .a suitable drum, or drums,

8i on which the .said conductor is wound. 95

83 isl electrically charged by suitable elec- 1004 tric'connection with the batteries 86 or other source of electricity so that upon the boat l1 y having traveled a sutticientdistance to bring the contact member against the walls ofv the hawse-liole, an electric current will flow to the tiring charge and explode the same.

The boat will beprovided with a suitable i,

keel 8T. Also. the hull of the conveyer boat 10 is provided with suitable stuffing boxes 88, 89 for the stems 1T, 22.

It will be, seen from the foregoing that the cable connections between the boats serve to synchronize the movements of the boats. and also serve to control the turning movement of the conveyer boat and that, whenl the dragging cable 12 is arrested by engagement with a mine the con'tinued movement i'io ' of the pilot boat consists in directing the movement ofthe conveyer boat to the mine. l s the conveyer boat rounds the mine A the 120 fender 53 guidesthe'mine cable Ilaterally to the pivoted arms TJ: of the grab 71, and the said mine cable entering the grab will automatically release the charge container and the grab in the manner above described. Y Having thus described my invention claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent: i

1. A mine-destroying means including a ,Y pilot boat, a conveyer boat adapted to carry an explosive charge, a submerged minedragging cable connecting said boats, `nro pelling-melns for said boats, Iand means connected with said cable and controlling the.

i pilot boat, a conveyer boat 'adapted to carry an explosive charge, a cable connecting 'said boatspropellingfmea'ns for said'boats, and

' mea-ns controlling the propelling means of one ofsaid boats and subjectto displacement of said cable by undue relative travel. ofv the boats. 3. A mine-destroyin'gmeans .inclu-dilaga pilot boat, aconveyer boat adapted to carry an explosive vcharge, propelling means for 'said boats7 a submerged drag. cableconnecting the said boats, -a steering propeller on the said -conveyer boat, means for actuating said steering propeller,l and means controlled by -sa'id cable to throvvfthemain propelling means 'of theconvever boat, out of operation and throxvthe steering propeller into' opera- .tion when the resist-ance of a mine isoffered to the said cabie.- 'l 4; A mine-destroying Jneans including a pilot boata. conveyer boat adapted to carr1 an explosive charge, propelling means for said boats, an overhead cable .connecting the" said boats, a branch cable extending from said overhead cable, a' movable arm on the conveyer boat. in. engagement .with said branch cable, and means controlled Vbykthe movement of saidarm to 'throw the propelling means of the conveyerboat` out of op.-

erat-ion by displacement ofthe cable .due Ito undue relative novements o'f the-boats..

-5. -A mine-destroying means including a pilot boat, a conveyer boat'adapted to carry an explosive charge, propellingmeans for said boats7 submerged depending stems onv the said boats, lateral arms on the said stems,

a cable connecting the said/arms, the stem of th'e conveyer boat being .adaptedto'be turned by. said cable when meeting` resistance of a mine, and meansactuated by the turning ofthe stem on the conveyerboat to control the propelling means of the con- 6. A mine-destroying means includingla pilot boat,va conveyer boat adapted to carry an explosive charge. propelling 'means for said boats, submerged depending stems on the said boats, lateral arms on the said stems, a cable connecting the said arms, the stem of the conveyor boat' being adapted to be turned by said cable When meeting resist- 'ance of a mine, a steering propeller on the conveyer boat, .and means actuatedeby Athe turningof the stem on the conveyer` boat to throw the propelling means and the steering propeller into andout of operation.

mount an explosive containerjon: the'vstem' of the conveyer boat,-thecontainer'havii1g means to connect the same withv a mine, pio

' pelling means forthe said boats, means on Ythe conveyer boat and subject to the said cable to direct the said conveyer boat in the direction of apull'onthe cable 'Whenthe said-cable is engagedwithl a: mine, and mea-ns controlled by said cable to'release the container when itsattachment means en-l gages a mine.

8. A mine-destroying 'means' 'including a" pilot boat,`a conveyer boat, a submerged cai ble connecting said boats, propelling means 'furthe 'said boats, means controlled by' the cable to turn the conveyer boat when 'the'cable is Vobstructedv by a mine, a container adapt-ed tof carry. an` explosive material,v

means to detachably secure 'the container to theconveye'rlboat, means connected with the container to engage a minev cable, and means for releasing said container and its said mine-engaging means when the last-mentioned means vengages the cable. s 94A vmine-dest'roying means including pilot boati a conveyer boat having a submerged depending stem'y mount-cd to turn, a cable connected with said stem and with the pilolI boat, a vertical rod mounted to turn.

inthe said stem, a container ladapted to hold lan explosive charge, means on the stemto hold said container, a grab' connected withv the container and adaptedto engage a mine cable, -mean's on), the said rod to detachably hold said grab, said rod being adapted to be turned-byv the grab when engaged and being' resisted by a 'mine' cable, and-means vto release the container and grab by the turning of the said rod.

10. AA mine-destroying means including a pilot boat7 a'fc'onveyer boat, a' vsubmerged drag cable c91- necting. the said boats, aI container adapted tohold'an explosive charge, meansl on the, conveyer boatte hold .the said container, means connected 'With the container and adapted .toengagc a mine, means to automatically release the container-'fand its mine-engaging means and attach Ithe'latter to a'mine cableyvhen the drag cable engages the mine' cable, an electric conductor attached to the said. container to explodethe charge thereof, means on. the conveyer boat to pay out said electric conductor, and means to establish an electric circuit through said' conductor when paid out to a 'predetermined extent. y

11. A mine-destroyingmeans including a pilot boat7 a conveyer boat, a submerged ca.- l

' ble connecting said boats, propelling vmeans for the. said boats; means controlled by the 'V adapted cable to turn the conveyer boat when the ca ble is obstructed by a mine, a container to' carry an explosive material, means to d etachably secure the container to the conyeyer boat, means connected with the container-to engage a mine cable, a. guide fender positioned on the conveyer boatto,

direct a mine cable to the mine-engagmg means, and' means for -releaslng sa1d container and mine-'engaging means when the 10 latter engages the mine cable. A

In testimony whereof I have signed my name tov this specification in the presence of two `subscribin witnesses.

ROBESON.

EUGEN THOMAS Witnessesz' SAM ADLER,

'HUGH F.- HURs'r. 

